Closing out the opening day of racing action at Balaton Park Circuit’s Hungarian Round, the FIM Supersport World Championship grid took to the lakeside circuit for their first race of the weekend. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) beat out Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) as the pair featured in P1 or P2 for the sixth race in a row. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) finished on the rostrum in P3 for his sixth podium of the year as he looks to be enjoying a return to form at Balaton.

Manzi lands first blow at Balaton: The Italian increased his Championship lead to 50 points

Can Oncu was quick as usual at lights out, claiming the holeshot to start the race. Early on, he led the encounter ahead of Bo Bendsneyder, Filippo Farioli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Stefano Manzi, who started back in P5. Manzi slowly reeled in the Turkish rider, until striking on Lap 10 to push Oncu down from P1, quickly carving out a margin of more than a second between him and the #61. The Championship leader would go on to lock down the race win from there. Oncu finished in P2, complicating his comeback hopes in the Championship picture. Fellow Yamaha and WorldSSP rookie Roberto Garcia (GMT94-YAMAHA) looked like he would earn his first WorldSSP podium for most of the encounter, battling well with factory MV Agusta teammates Bo Bendsneyder and Filippo Farioli. However, nearing the end of the race, Bendsneyder got out in front and didn’t let go of the podium position to finish P3.

Jespersen career-high: The Danish rider, in his second full season, finished P6

Garcia was relegated off the podium for P4 by Bendsneyder and was later further demoted to P5 after being applied an Irresponsible Riding penalty by FIM WorldSBK Stewards. Farioli finished in P5; however, after Garcia’s penalty, he was bumped up to P4. Simon Jespersen (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) in P6 earned the best result of his 39-race WorldSSP career. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had already made up 18 positions by Lap 3, going on to make up a total of 24 positions to finish P7 after his back-of-grid start due to being applied a technical infraction after the Tissot Superpole session.

Top ten spots: Bayliss P8, Oettl P9, Cardelus P10

Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) slipped down five positions after his front-row P3 start, finishing P8, 0.302s behind Masia. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) finished in P9 for his ninth top ten finish of his third WorldSSP season. Xavi Cardelus (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) finished in P10, rounding out the top 10 spots.

Mahias and Booth-Amos taste gravel: Current Championship P6 and P3 DNF

Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) went down in the first lap of the race, followed by Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) a few turns later in the early running. Booth-Amos returned, however, crashed again with four laps to go on Turn 9. Mattia Casadei (Motozoo ME Air Racing) was the next to tumble as he and Masia went bar to bar, later resulting in Masia’s Irresponsible Riding Penalty. Niccolo Antonelli (VFT Racing) went down next on the Turn 11 chicane on lap 6. Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) crashed out on Lap 8 from P15 to miss out on scoring in Race 1. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) retired early with three laps to go. Kaito Toba (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the next to fall, spilling over on Turn 11.

The top six from the WorldSSP Race 1: Full results here!

1 Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)

2. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +3.834s

3. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +5.775s

4. Filippo Farioli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 8.680s

5. Roberto Garcia (GMT94-YAMAHA) 9.000s

6. Simon Jespersen (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) 10.545s

Fastest lap: Stefano Manzi – 1’43.358s

Tune in tomorrow for WorldSSP’s Race 2 at 12:20 local time (UTC +2)! Tune in live or on demand with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 65% off!

MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s 999^th race got off to a bumpy start with an early red flag restart. Once the Race resumed, the defending Champion was off like a shot for his 13^th win of the season. His win marks his 31^st win with BMW, tying Colin Edwards’ career win tally with Honda. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) stemmed the #1’s point gain with his sixth-consecutive P2, marking his 43^rd WorldSBK podium. In P3, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) earned his 119^thcareer rostrum finish, now only 10 points behind Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who sits in front of him in third place in the Riders’ Championship.

Chaos at lights out: Seven riders came to grief seconds after lights out

As the pack funnelled into Lap 1’s first chicane, seven riders took a spill in a chain reaction of crashes that took place, involving: Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven), Danilo Petrucci, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing), Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC), Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), and Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team). Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) was applied a Double Long Lap Penalty for Irresponsible Riding by FIM WorldSBK stewards to start the restarted race. While they were uninjured, Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) didn’t make the start of the race, ending their Saturday early. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC), who were taken to the medical centre they remained as the race began again. Later, Lecuona was diagnosed with a left wrist fracture, and Gardner was transported to the hospital with a back contusion and suspected concussion.

Beachead at Balaton: Razgatlioglu carves out a larger Championship points margin for himself with Race 1 win

At the second lights out, Razgatlioglu took the holeshot into the first chicane ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team). Pulling away lap after lap by Lap 6, ‘El Turco’ was already 3.166s ahead of the rest of the grid, steaming ahead for his 70^th career win. After his crash, Bulega inherited P2 to mitigate ‘El Turco’s point gain. After a clinical overtake on Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), Alvaro Bautista earned his second consecutive podium after tasting the prosecco at Donington’s Race 2.

Petrucci’s recovery ride: From the back of the grid to P5 for the Italian

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) started the race well, but to his misfortune, Bulega and later Bautista shuffled him aside to relegate the #55 to P4. Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) bike was still undergoing repairs on the sighting lap, obligating him to start the race from the exit of pit lane for a back-of-grid start. Undeterred, Petrucci cut his way up the timesheet, finishing the contest in P5. After Petrucci overtook him for P5, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) gave chase but was unable to recover the position. His P6 still comes as a welcome result, landing four manufacturers in the top six.

Battle for P8: Rea, Montella, Vierge and Gerloff lock horns

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) wrestled for P8 throughout the race before Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) crashed out with six laps to go. Montella ended up coming out on top, followed by Vierge in P8 and Gerloff in P9. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) rounded out the top 10, recovering from several lost positions after he ran wide early in the race. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took home P11 and P12, Aegerter finishing just over half a second behind the Dutchman.

Mackenzie scores with new team: P14 for the Scotsman

Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) was hampered by his double long lap penalty but rode well to salvage points from the race and finish in P13. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) finished in P14 in his first WorldSBK race on Ducati machinery, leading Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) in the final point-scoring positions. Michael Rinaldi (GMT94-YAMAHA), Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team), and Zaqhwan Zaidi (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team rounded out the last three finishers in P16, P17 and P18, respectively.

Letdown for Lowes: Crashes out after running in P2.

After the restart, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was the first rider to crash, a disappointing Race 1 for the English rider after his P2 finish in the Tissot Superpole. Riding well in the top eight, with six laps to go, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) crashed twice in two laps to finish with a DNF.

The top six from the WorldSBK Race 1: Full results here!

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.738s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +6.002s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +13.993s

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +16.174s

6. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +16.590s

Fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu – 1’39.732s

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FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship kicked off its fourth round with race action in Hungary. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) found her way around the brand-new Balaton Park Circuit the fastest for her fourth win of the season. Chloe Jones (GR Motorsport) landed her second podium in a row after her maiden rostrum finish at her home round last time out at Donington. Beatriz Nelia (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) finished in third place for her seventh podium of the season after starting the contest from pole position.

Late Burst of speed: Herrera finished the race with the largest margin yet seen in a WorldWCR race, just +1.395s

Maria Herrera jumped ahead with the holeshot, leading Neila and Jones, who had a similarly rapid leap off the line from P6. That trio threw caution to the wind and traded overtakes to lead the race for stretches. Sarah Sanchez had caught up to the lead group by Lap 5, throwing her hat in the ring to make it a four-rider battle. Sanchez made an incisive move through the pack to P1, leading the group until the #6 reasserted herself at the front. Herrera would go on to run away from the pack, winning her 10^th race in the category. Chloe Jones benefitted from a final-lap error from Neila, cutting past her in the final chicane for her first-ever WorldWCR P2. Neila shuffled down to the last spot on the podium, dropping a total of nine points to Herrera to increase the deficit to 18 points.

Bad luck for Sanchez: Despite riding in the thick of the fight for the race win, she falls to P5

 Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team)  showed determination in closing the distance to the lead group, and while she wasn’t able to fight through to battle for the race win, she finished in P4 for a solid 13 points it was a tough break for Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) who despite riding well and even leading the race after fighting through the pack at the front, she was overtaken by the lead posse to finish in P5. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) finished the race in P6, leading the second group after overtaking Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno), who was shuffled to P7.

Metronomic consistency from Lewis: The Kiwi rider has never missed the top 10 in races that she has finished

Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports) finished P8 in Race 1, just under two seconds behind Howden. In P9, French rookie Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-YAMAHA) led Astrid Madrigal (Pons Italika Racing FIMLA) across the finish line after the Mexican rider charged up the grid from a P15 start to round out the top 10 positions.

Ongaro unfit: Lap 1 crash sees her Hungarian Round end early.

Ornella Ongaro was the first to crash out on Turn 11 of the Race’s first lap, being escorted on a stretcher to be reviewed in the medical centre. She was later diagnosed with a broken right humerus; she will be transported to Vezprem Hospital for further assessment. Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing) went down in Turn 5 with just three laps to go.

The top six from the WorldWCR Race 1: Full results here!

1 Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team)

2. Chloe Jones (GR Motosport) +1.395s

3. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +1.536s

4. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) +3.575s

5. Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) +4.275s

6. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) +6.820s

Fastest lap: Roberta Ponziani – 1’53.338s

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The first run: Razgatlioglu goes quicker than FP3 on his first lap

It didn’t take long for Razgatlioglu to beat his time from FP3 as he set a blistering 1’38.459s, 0.459s quicker than his closest challenger, Locatelli. On his second run, he went a tenth quicker to set a new benchmark of 1’38.369s to extend his lead at the head of the field. Sam Lowes, the pacesetter in two of the three practice sessions, was third after the first runs.

Reed flag interrupt proceedings: Razgatlioglu almost half-a-second clear

A big crash for Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) at Turn 9 brought out the red flags, with the #53 able to walk away from the crash but he was taken to the medical centre for a check-up. He was declared fit follow his check and was 18^thin Superpole. There was a separate crash at Turn 16 for Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) before the red flags were shown, interrupting the second runs. The session was resumed with 2’43 on the clock. When the session restarted, the #22 crashed again at Turn 1, ending his hopes of improving his times. The Brit was classified in 12^th place.

Razgatlioglu was ahead of the Bimota rider’s second spill and was able to improve his time to a 1’38.357s as he secured pole position at a 14^th different venue and his 22^nd in WorldSBK, while it’s also the ninth venue BMW have recorded a pole position at. Sam Lowes also improved his time to usurp Locatelli, lining up alongside ‘El Turco’ and Locatelli falling to third. It’s Locatelli’s first front row start since Portimao 2023, a wait of almost two years for the Italian.

Bulega on the second row: three places behind the Championship leader…

Title contender Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will lead away the second row after claiming P4 in Superpole, his 1’38.969s coming after the red flag as he moved up a few positions but unable to put himself on the front row, two tenths away from Locatelli. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) is alongside ‘Bulegas’ in fifth with Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) the lead Honda rider in sixth, completing the second row.

Starting from the third row: Bautista leads Iannone and Vierge

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was nine tenths away from Razgatlioglu’s time as he claimed seventh with a 1’39.266s, with Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) in eighth. Two Honda machines were in the top nine with Lecuona’s teammate, Xavi Vierge, taking ninth with a 1’39.350s. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) completed the top ten after posting a 1’39.375s, finishing half-a-tenth clear of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in 11^th.

The top six from WorldSBK Superpole, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’38.357s

2. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.477s

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +0.486s

4. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.612s

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.723s

6. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) +0.773s

Don’t miss the first race at Balaton Park! Race 1 takes place from 14:00 Local Time (UTC+2) and watch it LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED on the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €24.99!